Atmos Energy and the Dallas Public Library have teamed up on a new GED Scholarship for students seeking financial assistance to earn their High School Equivalency.

The scholarship, which is awarded to worthy students who have proven both their need for financial assistance, and their readiness for the GED test. Interested students must fit the following conditions:

Currently or previously enrolled in a Dallas Public Library GED preparation class OR currently or previously enrolled in a community partner’s GED preparation class.

GED Ready in the subject or subjects you wish to test in based on practice test results and instructor verification.

The GED can be expensive, especially for those students who may be unemployed or living paycheck-to-paycheck. The full GED® test costs $135. Each partial test costs $33.75. What's more, students may be forced to take a module more than once if they fail, potentially increasing the cost of the test. Not to mention costs associated with study materials, travel to-and-from the study center, and the investment of hundreds of hours that could otherwise be spent working; when you add it all up, the GED can be a costly endeavor. This scholarship will go a long way to mitigate some of the costs associated with getting your high school equivalency.

As part of GED Testing Service's spring initiative to make passing the GED Test more attainable goal for those seeking high-school equivalency, GED Testing Service has officially removed the Written portion from the Social Studies module as of March 1st, while reducing the time allotted to complete that module to 75 minutes.

A good article on the changes implemented by GED Testing service, including the reduction of the Social Studies test, can be found HERE.

It should be noted that the Reasoning through Language Arts and Science modules still include a written response portion, so writing remains a crucial skill required to pass the exam. However, removing the written response from the Social Studies Module reduces its complexity, favoring students with high reading & comprehension skills. Students must now rely on their ability to analyze and compare multiple texts, graphs, charts, and maps to synergize information and data, and make relevant conclusions.

The Texas State Board of Education and the Texas Education Agency have made it official: GED will no longer be the only show in town for High-School Equivalency. The two tests that have been approved are the HiSET, produced by McGraw-Hill and the TASC, offered by ETS. Although, it may take some time for the HiSET and TASC to gain a foothold in Texas, it is still great news for the landscape of Texas literacy. Previously restricted by the limits of the GED, educators and students now have multiple options, with different testing methodology, formats, and pricing.

Since the release of the updated GED test in 2014, educators and students have struggled to compensate for the sizable leap in complexity and difficulty. GED Testing service vowed to make their graduates more "college ready". However, a recent study by GED Testing Service concluded that the test was deemed too competitive. As a result GED Testing Service has lowered the minimum passing score for each module of the GED from 150 to 145 effective immediately.

Even better, the change has been made retroactive to January 1st, 2014, meaning that thousands of Texans who would have otherwise have been left studying now can proudly say that they are GED Graduates.